So, what do you think of when you think of Argentina? Tango! Gaucho ranches! Great beef! More tango?
What you may not think of is European architecture, warm, beautiful people and fabulous snow-capped mountains.. What you may not think of is one of the worlds widest waterfalls (Iguazu Falls) bordered by Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. What you may not think of is the world’s widest avenue (Avenido 9 de Julio), a fabulous opera house (Teatro Colon) and the most visited city in South America–i.e. Buenos Aires.
Argentina is magical and each time we’ve visited, we have come away with yet another another marvelous experience. Some of our best memories are:
Buenos Aires:
Buenos Aires, also called the Paris of South America, feels much like many European cities but with a Latin American flair. Great shopping–especially for leather goods (I must say I bought one or two purses while there), colorful neighborhoods (La Boca is special), tango scenes–even on the streets, theaters and museums, really good food—churrascarias, tapas, beef galore, all this and more are found in Buenos Aires.
Being the photographer that he is, David captured some great photos at the Rojo Tango:
Listed below is another picture from David of the inside of Teatro Colon, the Buenos Aires opera house which is ranked the world’s 3rd best opera house by National Geographic (La Scala, in Milan and Teatro di San Carlo in Naples are numbers 1 and 2, respectively):
Inside “Teatro Colon”
Llao Llao in San Carlos de Bariloche:
San Carlos de Bariloche, often called Bariloche, is located about 900 miles from Buenos Aires at the top of the Argentinian Patagonia. Looks just like Switzerland and I mean JUST LIKE!
So, a few years ago, David was watching a television show which listed the top 10 most romantic inns in the world and Llao Llao was one of the places featured. He decided to take me there as a surprise and when we arrived, I not only fell in love with the place but I also vowed that I would one day return with a group of clients—(which I did in 2011).
Today, after having been there several times, Llao Llao remains one of my favorite places. Romantic, picturesque, lots of options on things to do–skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer, great spa, sumptuous meals, I am always excited with the thought of returning, time and time again.
Llao Llao: Set upon a hill and surrounded by mountains—just like Switzerland!
Look at the view from our bedroom window:
And, the Panoramic View from the ski lift in Bariloche is below:
Iguazu Falls:
What’s that roaring sound? Hard to imagine that a waterfall could sound just like roaring train which is about to hit you! Loud! Massive! Thunderous! Impressive!
We were not exposed to the size and drama of the waterfall immediately. Upon checking into our hotel, we could see some mist in the distance from our balcony. We had no idea that in order to get to the Falls, the next morning, we had to take a 20 minute train ride followed by another 20 minute hike across all of the different falls in order to get to the center of the falls—DEVIL’s THROAT.
Imagine being elevated about 4 feet above the Mississippi River raging from flood waters as you walked towards its center. My stomach was in my throat! Once there, after being drenched from all of the misty water flowing into the center, you had to walk back another 20 minutes to get back to the train. Just a little bit terrifying!
Known as one of the worlds widest waterfalls, Iguazu is an absolute must see. Some of David’s pictures are below:
Drenched at Devil’s Throat!
Lots of Views to follow!
More Views!
And More!
And More! Isn’t this MAGNIFICENT!
So these are a few of our favorite memories from Argentina but wait, there’s more!
- Do you like wine? Argentina is the fifth largest wine producing country and their Malbec is world class.
- Do you like horses? Between Argentinian cowboys, polo and ranches, Argentina offers some of the best relative to equestrian activities.
- Is skiing your thing? No need to go as far away as Bariloche as there are many ski resorts dotted throughout the country.
- The Tigre Delta, located about an hour out of Buenos Aires, offers relaxing water sports – – fishing, kayaking, boating – – all in a very laid-back setting. (We had a wonderful time in this area with some Argentinean friends.)
- Way down south, in Patagonia, there are glaciers (Perito Moreno is magnificent) that more than rival Alaskan glaciers and there are penguins and whales, lots for nature lovers.
OK, so have I made my point? Does Argentina sound like there’s plenty to do and see there? I sure hope so as I really think that this is a beautiful, beautiful country and I look forward to each opportunity to visit. In fact, we’re going back in 2016!
Let me know your thoughts and if you have any interest in exploring this corner of the world, I’d be delighted to help.
Until the next time,
Janice
